A
Do you like to flaunt your expensive items? You could find yourself without friends! Scientists prove that expensive status symbols make you look less socially attractive.
Items such as a fancy car and a Rolex watch are often thought to increase our social standing and often come with a high price tag (标签). According to the latest research, however, it has the opposite effect and people would prefer to be friends with someone who places less value on material objects.
“Often we think that status symbols will make us look more socially attractive to others，” says Stephen Garcia, the study's lead author from the University of Michigan. He adds, “However, our research suggests that these status signals actually make us look less socially attractive.”
The researchers conducted six studies which assessed how people presented themselves and how people viewed strangers. People who chose to wear higher status items tended to get a negative response, but people wanted to be friends with people who preferred lower status symbols.
The study took the role of the luxury item to see if it was possible that the expensive item itself played a part in people's reactions. The definition of a status symbol changed based on a person's socioeconomic status, but the same effect of keeping off potential friends was seen regardless of social position.
“At a social level, we may be wasting billions of dollars on expensive status symbols that finally keep others from wanting to associate with us，” says Kimberlee Weaver Livnat at the University of Haifa. She says, “And to the extent that close friendships are important to wellbeing, we may be unintentionally hurting ourselves.”
However, Patricia Chen of the National University of Singapore said this does not necessarily mean status symbols are a bad thing. She says, “Our findings right now only apply to the formation of new friendships. Status symbols may be beneficial at other times and in other settings, such as when trying to establish new business contacts.”
本文是一篇说明文。研究表明昂贵的身份标志性的物品不一定会有利于提高人的魅力，反而会妨碍人结识新的朋友。
1．What does the underlined word “flaunt” in Paragraph 1 mean?
A．Show off. B．Get rid of.
C．Give away. D．Hand in.
答案：A
解析：词义猜测题。根据下文Scientists prove that expensive status symbols make you look less socially attractive.(科学家证明，昂贵的身份象征会让你在社交上显得不那么有吸引力。)可知，昂贵的身份标志性的物品不利于交友，而喜欢炫耀的人可能会没有朋友。故可知画线部分单词意思为“炫耀”。
2．Which is the negative influence of expensive status symbols?
A．Lowering people's social status.
B．Preventing people from making friends.
C．Doing harm to people's health absolutely.
D．Changing people's consumption concept.
答案：B
解析：细节理解题。根据第二段中Items such as a fancy car and a Rolex watch are often thought to increase our social standing and often come with a high price tag. According to the latest research, however, it has the opposite effect and people would prefer to be friends with someone who places less value on material objects.(像豪车和劳力士手表这样的物品通常被认为可以提高我们的社会地位，而且往往价格不菲。然而，根据最新的研究，它有相反的效果，人们更愿意和那些不太重视物质的人交朋友。)可知，昂贵的地位象征的负面影响是会阻止人们交朋友。
3．Who may be more popular among friends according to the text?
A．People who are very rich.
B．People with high social status.
C．People who keep a low profile.
D．People with charming appearance.
答案：C
解析：推理判断题。根据第四段最后一句People who chose to wear higher status items tended to get a negative response, but people wanted to be friends with people who preferred lower status symbols.(那些选择穿显示地位高的衣服的人往往会得到负面的回应，但人们希望与那些更喜欢低地位象征的人交朋友。)可知，低调而不喜欢炫富的人会更加受欢迎。
